Nigeria’s industrial sector has a received a human capital boost as 494 Nigerians benefits from the German government Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria.
Federal Republic of Germany, in collaboration with Nigerian partnering bodies embarked on this project (German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria (G-DVTPW-N) programme) the past five year across different part of the country, adding value to human capital need for industries.
According to the G-DVTPW-N project coordinator, kehinde Stephen Awoyele, “first phase of the project ran successfully from 2012-2015, and it is now in the second phase that will terminate in 2018.”
A statistical report made available by the Assistant Coordinator of the project, Segun Okejimi revealed that 180 trainers were trained in Lagos, 72 in Abuja, and 69 in Abeokuta.
In the apprenticeship category, the report showed that 124 apprentices were trained in Lagos, while 31 and 18 apprentices were trained in Abuja and Abeokuta respectively.
According to the coordinators, Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or National Technical Certificate (NTE)/ National Business Certificate (NBC) is the basic entrance requirement for the partnership programme focusing on Office Administration, Industrial Mechanics, Industrial Electronics and Technical Facility Management professions.
Learning contents for Office Administration include: office organisation, project assistance, written and oral correspondence in the business routine, application of the MS office package, organization of meetings and events, time and self management.
For Industrial Mechanics: progresses planning and operational safety; mechanical engineering; treating different raw materials including welding; manual and machine processing, production of components with machines are treated.
In the Industrial Electronics, progress planning and operational safety, mechanical engineering, installation and dismounting of electrical fittings, Electrical fittings and circuits, implementing control and drive engineering and manual and machine processing are focused upon.
In the Technical Facility Management aspect: installation and maintenance of ventilation and air-conditioning systems, installation and dismounting of electric installations and repair work on industrial facilities are undertaken.
Awoyele highlighted 70 -75 percent in-company-hands-on (practical) training and 25- 30 percent class theory was one of the dynamic features of the programme.
Giving an insight into the drive of the project, Awoyele informed that, “German Dual Vocational Training Partnership With Nigeria, is an initiative of Federal Republic of Germany and is geared towards raising the employability bar of Nigerian youths and reducing poverty in the country. It is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and conducted by sequagGmbH. It’s steered by the CCI Giessen-Friedberg as the German project partner.
“Partnering bodies include – Delegation of German Industry and Commerce (AHK), Nigeria; Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (LCCI), Nigerian German Business Association (NGBA) Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Abuja and Ogun States (ACCI and OGUNCIMA).”
While making a case for the training, in a statement during the graduation ceremony held in Abuja for the second batch of youths trained in Technical Facility Management profession, German Ambassador to Nigeria, Bernhard Schlagheck, expressed that: “Dual Vocational Training System is the commonest form of vocational training in Germany; “Dual” in this context means a combination of practical, on-the-job training and theoretical education at a vocational school, ensuring a proper balance of theory and practice.”
In a similar statement, he hinted that, “The German Government has a whole range of activities in the country in various states and we invest 50 million euros in vocation training in Nigeria in a year.”
Speaking in the same vein, during a graduation ceremony in Lagos for one of the batches of apprentices trained in Office Administration, German Consul General to Nigeria, Ingo Herbert, tasked Nigerian government to give Dual Vocational Training (DVT) special attention by borrowing from Germany that brought its economy out of doldrums through DVT.
According to him, as a result of the introduction of the training, Germany today has the lowest unemployment rate in the world and not less than 95 percent of its youths are gainfully employed.
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